


born under a bad sign

by disasterboy



Series: die with your mask on [4]
Category: Cobra Starship, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album), Fall Out Boy, Paramore, The Academy Is...
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fabulous Killjoys Fusion, Backstory, Fun Ghoul Is A Chaos Goblin, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Limbs, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Pre-Relationship, Reunions, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25133659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disasterboy/pseuds/disasterboy
Summary: A little slice-of-life fic following various killjoys on their adventures in post-apocalyptic America.(More tags will be added as the fic is updated!)
Relationships: Alex Suarez & Adam Siska, Andy "Butcher" Mrotek & Adam Siska, Andy "Butcher" Mrotek/Adam Siska, Hayley Williams & Taylor York, Zac Farro/Taylor York
Series: die with your mask on [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/813462
Kudos: 6





	1. DJ Arsenic, Solar Skate, and Atomic Storm

**Author's Note:**

> yes it's 2020. yes im aware that most of these bands have broken up. yes, i don't care. have a nice day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, for those of you who didn't read "dawn" (or forgot since its been like two and a half years since i published it):  
> -the butcher is DJ arsenic  
> -sisky is atomic storm  
> -alex is solar skate  
> -william is cyanide sunshine  
> -carden is chemical zombie  
> -gabe is disaster boy
> 
> others mentioned are ryland (guilty pleasure) and jon walker (toxic torrent)

There were two new kids in the South.

Normally, DJ Arsenic didn't pay attention to the new 'joys. They were young, naïve, pimply-faced kids who ran away from their high school in Battery City to try and be legends. Whenever they came to Arsenic for advice (and usually food, shelter, and sex as well), the DJ would just smile and send them towards Termina instead.

These kids were different, though.

They introduced themselves as Solar Skate and Atomic Storm when they showed up at DJ Arsenic's doorstep, and they shyly told the DJ that they were both trans boys from Battery City. Solar Skate was already incredibly tall, though not as tall as Disaster Boy or Guilty Pleasure, and had actual roller skates on his feet. Atomic Storm's hair rivaled Jet Star's in terms of curliness, and it surrounded his head like some sort of fluffy halo. He was shaking like a leaf even though it was hotter than hell outside, and Solar Skate kept an arm permanently wrapped around his companion’s shoulders.

“What brings you two here?” Arsenic asked. They stepped aside to let the two boys inside of their shitty little broadcasting shack, and both Solar Skate and Atomic Storm looked around at their home like it was the shittiest thing they had ever seen.

To be fair, if they had come from Battery City, it probably _was_ the shittiest thing they had ever seen.

“Well, uh, we had to escape Bat-”

“No, I mean, like… what brings you two here, specifically? Why didn’t you go to the Fab Four, or Dr. Death? My place ‘s a long ways out from B.C.,” Arsenic clarified.

“We did go to the Fab Four,” Atomic Storm answered. “They sent us here. Gave us directions to Termina, and then said to go looking for DJ Arsenic when we got there.”

“That’s… huh.” _Why would they send them here? Poison usually takes in new kids left and right. And why didn’t Dr. D warn them that these kids were coming?_

“You guys must be thirsty, yeah? Let me get you some water before you recount your epic tales to me.”

That was how DJ Arsenic ended up sitting around their banged-up old coffee table, listening to the two boys spill their singular life story in between sips of water. From what Arsenic gathered, they had grown up together as best friends, with Solar Skate currently being 17 (only a year younger than the DJ) and Atomic Storm being 16. They had both tried to come out as trans at the same time about a year ago. Atomic’s parents turned up dead one day, and he moved in with Solar Skate until Solar’s mom began being followed by Dracs everywhere she went.

“She tried to give us her car, but we didn’t want her to get in any more trouble than she was already in,” Solar Skate added. “Some guy named Toxic Torrent helped us escape, and they sent us to the Diner, where the Fab Four sent us your way. That was about… three, four months ago?”

The DJ nodded. They had grown up with Toxic Torrent, and they were well aware of the other killjoy’s bleeding heart when it came to kids trying to escape Battery City. “So how did you guys get here if you didn’t have a car or anything?”

“We walked.”

“I’m sorry, you did _what_?”

“We… walked? What’s so hard to understand about that?”

“You walked nearly three thousand miles? By yourselves, with no water or money to your names?”

“Well, we stole what we had to, and traded for what we couldn’t steal.”

“We traded for things we couldn’t steal with stuff we had stolen before,” Atomic corrected. His voice sounded full and heavy with exhaustion, and his face when he yawned was gaunt and thin, way thinner than any 16-year-old’s face should be.

“How the hell are you guys not fucking dead?” Solar Skate shrugged, and when DJ Arsenic looked at Atomic Storm for a better explanation they saw that he had quite literally fallen asleep at the table in a matter of seconds. The DJ sighed, rubbing a hand across their face.

“I think it would be a good idea for you two to stay here for a few days before you head back out. Walking that far must have taken a huge toll on you guys, and I don’t think I would ever forgive myself if I let you walk out and something happened to you.”

* * *

“Whose grave is that?”

Arsenic’s heart leaped out of their chest when Atomic Storm spoke up from behind them. Three weeks after the two new killjoys sort of moved in and they were still trying to get used to having other people in the house.

“It’s uh… It’s my brother. We used to run the show together, but…”

“When did he die?”

“About six months ago.”

“Oh.” Silence, and then “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” Arsenic responded. The words were an automatic response now, after hearing so many people offer their condolences and thoughts and prayers.

DJ Arsenic heard Atomic Storm sit down beside them, and not long after there was a head leaning on their shoulder.

“It’s not okay, though. Not really.”

“No, it’s not,” Arsenic agreed. Atomic was quiet for a while, letting Arsenic work through their emotions, before speaking up again.

“I used to have a brother. His name was Jason, and he escaped Battery City years and years ago. Two of our best friends went with him. They wanted to take me with them, but I was only 12, and Jason said he’d come back for me later.”

“What happened to him?”

“They brought his body back to Battery City two months later. I don’t know what happened to Bill and Mike, but they never came back for Alex and I. I think BL/I kept a close eye on our family after that, and that’s probably why my parents died so soon after I tried coming out.”

The DJ didn’t have a response to that. Instead, they just sat there, letting the younger killjoy use their shoulder as a sort of pillow while they sat in front of Dan’s grave. They didn’t move until the sun began to set, causing the cold to creep up their bones when they were least expecting it.

The next day, Atomic Storm didn’t seem as scared and broken as he had been when he had first arrived. He started hanging around the DJ when they were broadcasting, and when the DJ mentioned the possibility of using coded messages for their show in order to keep information secure Atomic jumped at the opportunity to help out.

* * *

The next time DJ Arsenic needed to go to Termina for supplies for their radio (the antennae had broken the night before during a sandstorm and they hadn’t been able to get on the air that morning), they brought along the two newest members of their household.

“If you guys see anything you need,” they said before they walked through the gates of the city, “let me know, okay? I don’t have too many carbons, but I can probably buy a few things before we run out. If you need me, ask someone where Chemical Zombie lives, and that’s where I’ll be.”

Solar Skate nodded before literally skating off in the opposite direction. Atomic Storm started to follow him, but he paused and ended up staying next to the DJ. DJ Arsenic didn’t question it, instead offering Atomic Storm a hand to hold so that he didn’t get lost in the crowd of Termina’s shopping district.

They used the term “shopping district” lightly. It wasn’t anything like what shopping malls had been back in the day (according to their mother), but it was still one of the largest centers of trade this far south, even if there weren’t more than a hundred people present in this part of the city.

“Where are we going?” Atomic Storm asked. His voice seemed small compared to the noise, and his hand had a vice grip on the DJ’s.

“I need to find Chemical Zombie. He sells all sorts of equipment, and he’s where I go to get things when my shit gets busted or breaks,” Arsenic answered.

“Where is he?”

“He has an apartment here with Cyanide Sunshine. It overlooks the next street over, so that’s where we’re going.”

Atomic Storm didn’t ask any more questions as they dodged people and cut through an alleyway to get to the next street. Immediately after they emerged at the other end of the alley, DJ Arsenic was waving to someone up on a balcony hanging over the street. The new person, who had long brown hair and seemed to be more of a twig than a person, waved back before making an arm motion that (hopefully) meant “come on in”. The DJ looked back at Atomic Storm to make sure he was alright before entering the building and climbing up the flight of stairs to the third floor.

As soon as the DJ went to knock the door swung open, and the person they had seen on the balcony was standing in the doorway.

“DJ! Long time no see!” they yelled. DJ Arsenic let go of Atomic Storm’s hand to hug whoever this person was.

“Good to see you again,” DJ laughed. “Can we come in? I need to buy shit off of Zombie if he’s here.”

“Oh, he’s here. Disaster Boy should be here soon, so we’ve just been waiting for him to show up.”

“Sweet, I haven’t seen him in forever.” Arsenic stepped inside as soon as the other person moved aside, and Atomic Storm quickly followed after them.

Once they were inside, they found another person lounging on an old and gross-looking couch. They were looking over their shoulder, and they stood up when DJ and Atomic stepped inside the apartment.

“Yo, DJ! Who’s your friend?”

“This is Atomic Storm. He’s been helping out with the show a bit, and he and his friend have been living with me for the past, what, three months? Atomic, this is Chemical Zombie-” They gestured to the person who was previously on the couch, then pointed at the person who had let them in “-and this is Cyanide Sunshine.”

Cyanide Sunshine reached out to shake Atomic Storm’s hand, but during the handshake, Cyanide squinted like they were trying to read something that was just barely out of their line of sight. DJ Arsenic could see that Atomic instantly seized up, going stiff in a way that did not seem comfortable.

“Hey, w… you… look familiar… Have we met before?”

“Nope! No, no we haven’t,” Atomic Storm squeaked. He coughed, sliding his hand out of the handshake. “I’ll, uh, I’m gonna wait outside.”

“Atomic, what-” Too late. The younger killjoy had already turned around and left through the door, closing it behind him.

“What’s their deal? Are they okay?” Zombie asked.

“I don’t know. He was fine when we came here. I don’t know what happened.”

“They did seem really familiar… And their pronouns are he and him? I didn’t get the chance to ask for pronouns, and they were like… just androgynous enough that I couldn’t place which gender they were trying to identify as,” Zombie said.

“Yeah, he/him. He’s trans, so that’s probably why.”

Suddenly, Cyanide Sunshine gasped, hands flying up in surprise and face full of recognition.

“Oh my GODS! Mike, that was Angie!”

“Angie? Like, Jason’s sister Angie?”

“I’m pretty sure!”

“We haven’t seen her since she was, like, 12. How do you know it’s her?”

“Are you kidding me? He definitely has the Siska hair.” Cyanide whirled around to face DJ Arsenic, and the DJ felt like they were about to face down a firing squad. “Do you know what his last name is? Where he’s from? Anything about his past?”

“Uh… He told me he and his friend were from Battery City, and he did mention that he had a brother named Jason who died a couple of years back?”

“What’s his friend’s name?”

“Solar Skate, but he slips up and calls him Alex sometimes.”

“Suarez. Bill, it’s them. It has to be,” Zombie said.

“They made it out? I can’t believe it…” Cyanide whispered.

“Do you want me t-” Before Arsenic could finish their sentence, there was a knock at the door, and Cyanide opened it to reveal Disaster Boy with his arm around Solar Skate. While Disaster Boy hollered his greetings, Solar Skate seemed frozen in place.

“Speak of the devil, here’s Solar Skate now,” DJ Arsenic said.

“Oh, you know my new best friend?” Disaster Boy crowed. Solar Skate let out a weak laugh, fidgeting under the gaze of both Cyanide Sunshine and Chemical Zombie.

“As loud and showy as ever, huh Disaster?” DJ laughed, pulling Disaster Boy into a hug. It was nice to see their friend again, even if they were currently caught in an awkward situation.

While they had been hugging, apparently Cyanide had launched themselves forward and had pulled Solar Skate into what seemed like a bone-crushing hug. Cyanide was crying, and Solar Skate also looked dangerously close to tears.

“We heard what had happened to the Siskas, and we thought you and Angie— Adam, sorry, Adam— were dead… Oh my gods, _Alex_! You’re safe, holy shit!”

Soon Chemical Zombie joined in, and the three of them were standing there hugging while Disaster Boy and DJ Arsenic stood off to the side in vague confusion.

“Can you tell me what’s happening?” Disaster Boy whispered.

“Nope.”

“Also, my main man says you’ve been letting him and his tiny friend stay with you at your shack,” Disaster said. “Why?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why? Usually, you turn the new kids out and send them to Termina to find a place to live, but you let these two live with you. What changed?”

“Nothing changed. I just… Did Solar Skate tell you that they walked _all the way from Battery City_? Anybody who can do that and not get themselves dusted has my respect, especially someone so young. Apparently the Fab Four sent them my way, and they were tired and needed a place to stay. I only really planned on letting them stay for a night or two, just to get their strength back, but… I guess they kinda grew on me.”

Disaster Boy took all of their words in, nodding his head as the trio broke up the hug. “I can respect that. Why did Party Poison send-”

“Hey, DJ, where’s Atomic Storm?” Solar Skate interrupted. Arsenic looked up to see the younger killjoy staring at them. “I thought he was with you.”

“He bolted outside. Are you sure you didn’t see him out there?”

“No, I didn’t see him.”

“Fuck.” Without thinking about it, DJ Arsenic sprinted out the door, flying down the flight of stairs until they were out in the street again. They could hear everyone they left behind yelling from the balcony, but they ignored them in favor of searching for their missing comrade.

They eventually found Atomic Storm, curled up into a ball and sitting in the alley they had crossed through earlier. DJ Arsenic didn’t say anything as they approached. They simply sat down next to Atomic and let the smaller person curl up into their side. He had obviously been crying, but it seemed like he had stopped some time ago. Eventually, Atomic Storm sniffed and opened his mouth to explain what happened.

“Do you remember,” he said, “when I told you about Jason? And how he and two of our friends escaped?”

“I remember.”

“Those guys… Cyanide and Zombie? They were the two friends. I thought… y’know, after what happened to Jason… I thought they’d died with him or something. And now that they’re here, alive and safe… I’m kind of scared, and also kind of mad.”

“Why?”

“Scared because they knew me before I came out, so I don’t know how they’ll react to me being trans, and mad because they left me to rot in Battery City for four years! Four whole years, DJ! I thought they were dead, and all this time they were alive and well, and they didn’t even let me know they were okay! Alex and I were miserable! Did they even think about us, even just once? I’m so…I’m just so mad!” At this point, he was crying again, and DJ Arsenic wrapped their arms around him so that they could hold him while he sobbed.

“They thought you were dead, too,” Arsenic said after a few moments of near-silence.

“… what?”

“After you left, they recognized you and had a big freak out, and then Solar Skate showed up with Disaster Boy— you’ll meet Disaster later, don’t worry— and they freaked out even more. I heard Cyanide say something like ‘we heard what happened to the Siskas and thought you and Adam were dead’, and then they cried. A lot,” Arsenic explained. “You don’t have to worry about them reacting badly to your gender; Cyanide is agender, and they’re both bi as far as I know. It seems like they missed you a lot, and I think you’ll all be happier once you’re reconnected. Take your time to sort things out, though, and if you decide that you want me to take you back to the shack I can. You don’t have to interact with them if you don’t want to, but it’s up to you.”

Atomic Storm sniffled, making him seem younger than he really was, before detangling himself from DJ Arsenic and standing up.

“Let’s go back.”

* * *

A week after their visit to Termina, Solar Skate moved out.

“Disaster Boy invited me to join his and Pleasure's gang up in the North,” he explained. “I said yes. You’ve been so nice, and I appreciate what you’ve done for us, but…”

“Hey, don’t worry. I get it; every ‘joy’s gotta get out there eventually. You better keep in touch, though,” Arsenic said. They reached out to hug Solar Skate, and the DJ could feel Solar Skate smiling against their shoulder.

When they pulled apart, Solar looked at Atomic Storm, who had been standing off to the side throughout the entire exchange. “Adam, come on.”

“What?”

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“I…” Atomic Storm looked between Solar Skate and DJ Arsenic with wide eyes. “... I want to stay with the DJ.”

_What?_

“Oh. I thought…” Solar Skate trailed off before finishing his sentence, and Atomic flashed a weak and watery smile at him.

“I know. You’ll always be my best friend, but I feel like my place is here, helping out Arsenic with their show.” Solar Skate nodded, even though there were tears in his eyes as well, and he dragged Atomic into the longest hug the DJ had yet to witness.

“See ya ‘round, buddy,” was the last thing Solar Skate said before driving off on the motorcycle he had miraculously produced. He had probably stolen it, but the DJ wasn’t too worried about it.

“I’m just glad he took off his skates before trying to ride that thing,” Atomic commented. The DJ laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

“It would have been funnier to see him try to drive _with_ them.” Soon they were laughing together, and the DJ knew Atomic had made the right choice in staying. Their life wouldn’t ever be the same without Atomic’s bright presence.

“Hey, by the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Did Party Poison say anything about why they sent you out here instead of taking you in themselves?”

Atomic pondered their question for a few seconds, but eventually nodded. “They said they were worried about you being lonely, and that you could use some company.”

“Huh. Remind me to thank them and kick them in the balls next time I see them.”

DJ Arsenic would never admit it, but Party Poison had been right.

* * *

Three weeks later, Cyanide Sunshine and Chemical Zombie came to visit, and the Santis were formed.


	2. Dream Killer (and their leg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this takes place in-between part of chapter two of twice lived, just for clarification!

“ _Uh, hey, Killer? It’s Sandman. I need your help. Kobra Kid and I were going to handle it, but this is looking like it’s gonna be more than a two-person job. I’m gonna call DJ Arsenic too, see if they can leave Atomic Storm in charge of the show for a few days to come help too._

_Long story short, Kobra Kid found a shit load of bombs out in the Zones, specifically Zone 5, and he found the plans that went with them. They don’t look good at all, and if BL/ind goes through with it there’s gonna be a lot of death and destruction. There are a bunch of ‘joys out there, and we need to destroy them all— or as many as we can— before those bastards plant them and send our friends to the Witch._

_Look, uh… Color Rush told me what happened to Half Noise. I know you’re probably sick of hearing this, but I’m sorry for your loss, and I hope he found his way to the Witch. I know you might not be feeling up to helping out, and if you aren’t that fine by us, but you’re one of the best with explosives, and we could really use your help. If it helps, the Mailbox is out there, and you can at least send him letters. The Witch delivers them all; I’m sure she’ll give Noise your love.”_

Sandman coughed, making the radio crackle with static a bit, before finishing off their broadcast. “ _Meet us at the Fab Four’s place in a week if you’re down. Sandman out.”_

Dream Killer switched their radio off. They hadn’t left their room in months— not since Half Noise had passed. Sighing, they looked at the letter and mask sitting next to the radio.

It was time they got their shit together. 

A week later they finally opened their door for the first time in three months, besides when they had snuck out in the middle of the night to smuggle cans of food back to their room. Miss Misery was, as usual, sitting outside their door, and their best friend shot up in shock when she realized they had returned to the land of the living.

“Killer!” she yelled. Misery wrapped her arms around Killer, and Killer decided that they had missed her hugs. However, soon Color Rush and Nine Knives joined in, and Killer decidedly liked the hug less.

“I need to go out to the Zones.”

* * *

Sandman and Kobra Kid were waiting for them when they arrived in Zone 6. Dream Killer parked their bike next to Sandman’s (obnoxiously bright red) Impala, and when they hopped off and turned around they had a tiny tattooed person in their arms. They let out a small sigh and hugged Sandman back. They nodded at Kobra, who nodded back. Neither of them were big on physical affection, and they respected that about each other.

“I’m glad you made it, man!” Sandman yelled.

“Glad I can help. Is Arsenic here yet?”

“Not yet. Atomic Storm did the broadcast this morning, so they’re on their way, but it _is_ a helluva long way from Termina to here.”

“Yeah, I know.” 

Kobra Kid motioned for them to follow him inside the Diner, and Killer and Sandman obliged. Fun Ghoul and Jet Star were playing some kind of card game (with Ghoul struggling to play with only one arm, even if they wouldn’t admit it) while Party Poison was laying on their back on the floor. Killer didn’t question them.

“Yo, Killer! Long time no see!” Fun Ghoul called out. Killer raised their hand in greeting, and that was when Party Poison decided to lift their head off of the ground.

“Jesus, dude, you’re skinnier than Kobra. What gives?”

“Haven’t been eating.” Killer shrugged, and Poison raised an eyebrow before Kobra lightly kicked their shoulder to tell them to drop it.

Kobra led Sandman and Dream Killer over to an unoccupied booth. There was a map spread out over the table, and next to the map was a document that looked like it was written in code.

“Standard BL/I code,” Kobra clarified when he caught Killer staring at the document. “Jet already cracked it.”

“Ah.” They weren't very good with codes.

Eventually, they heard the rumble of another bike, and Dream Killer pulled down the blinds a bit just in time to see DJ Arsenic pull up outside. Kobra Kid went outside to greet them, and when the two killjoys came back in DJ Arsenic slid into the booth next to Dream Killer. Kobra Kid reclaimed his spot next to Sandman on the opposite side.

“How many bombs are we dealing with?” Arsenic asked. 

“A lot. We couldn’t count all of them, but we found at least four vans full of them. There were Dracs driving them, and there were a few more guarding the back doors.”

“Were the vans next to each other?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why didn’t you just blow them all up when they were together?” Killer asked. “Like, you could have hit one van, and the explosion would have triggered the others to go off, too. Then you could have at least contained the damage to one area, and you could have taken out the Dracs that were there.”

“We… didn’t think of that,” Kobra admitted. There was a loud _THUMP_ that was probably Jet Star hitting his head against the table. 

“We’re fucking idiots,” Party Poison muttered.

“Too late for that now, I guess.”

“Is it?” Sandman cut in. “Like… aren’t the vans still parked together out in Zone 5?”

“... Okay, so new plan—”

* * *

Killer ended up in the back of the Trans-Am next to DJ Arsenic on their way to where Kobra had found the bomb vans. Kobra was driving, and Sandman was in the passenger seat. It was kind of easy to forget that they were on a dangerous mission, in all honesty; Sandman had picked out a random old CD and put it in the radio, and while they jammed out with Kobra Kid in the front DJ Arsenic and Dream Killer caught up in the back.

“How’s Atomic Storm?” Killer asked. They had heard that DJ Arsenic and Atomic Storm had started dating a while ago, and they were happy that they had finally gotten past the “hopeless and oblivious pining” phase they had been stuck in since Killer had met them both.

“Oh, he’s doing great. The Astral Cobras came down to visit about a week ago, and you know they throw the most outrageous parties, so Atomic got fuckin’ wasted and kept hitting on me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He started crying when I told him I wasn’t single. He didn’t realize that _he_ was the reason I wasn’t single.”

Dream Killer laughed, and with muted shock, they realized that it was the first time they had laughed since Half Noise’s passing.

“How about you? How are you and the rest of your crew doing?” the DJ asked.

“Uh, well… As far as I know, they’re doing alright, but I haven’t really been out of my room in a couple of months.”

DJ Arsenic nodded, their face softening a bit in grief and empathy. They had been the one to spread the news of Half Noise’s death, since they were the closest broadcaster and they were also good friends with Half Noise.

“You must miss him.”

“More than anything.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see him again; the Phoenix Witch is keeping him safe for you.”

Dream Killer nodded, then changed the subject. They continued chatting pleasantly until Kobra Kid suddenly turned the radio off and cut the engine.

“Hey, what-”

“We’re here.” Instantly Sandman changed their mind about complaining, and all four killjoys placed their hands on their ray guns as they exited the car. Kobra had parked behind a rather large rock, so they were hidden from view for the time being.

Nobody spoke for the longest time. Everyone knew the plan by heart at that point, and they weren’t willing to risk discovery by talking.

Kobra looked back at his three companions and motioned for DJ Arsenic to take their place. DJ was the best shot among them, and the others had left it up to them to be the one to trigger the explosions.

As soon as the DJ raised their ray gun to shoot, the engines on all four trucks started up at once, and DJ cursed and fired. They managed to hit their target anyway, but by the time the first truck had exploded the others were peeling away. The explosion from the first truck managed to hit the second one, and DJ Arsenic took a second shot and managed to detonate the third truck, but the last one had gone into reverse and backed up far enough that the fires missed it. Without thinking, Killer took their gun out of their holster and shot out from behind the rock as the van attempted to make an escape.

“Killer, no!” 

Dream Killer heard Sandman yelling, but they ignored it in favor of chasing down the last remaining van. As the van picked up speed it looked like Killer was going to lose it, but they managed to jump and grab onto the handle on one of the back doors at the last minute. They took a second to balance themselves, and when they were steady enough they yanked the doors open. 

They were met with row after row after row of land mines. The sight filled Dream Killer with dread, and they knew they had to destroy them all no matter the cost. The number of bombs they had would be able to wipe out most of the killjoys in the Zones, and Killer didn’t even want to think about what would happen if these bombs somehow made it to Termina.

Two Dracs were positioned behind the doors, but they were easy enough to dispatch. Aiming their gun at one of the bombs inside, Killer took a deep breath before firing.

* * *

They were probably dead. Part of them hoped they _were_ dead so that they could see Half Noise again. When they opened their eyes, however, they didn’t see Half Noise or the Phoenix Witch anywhere. Instead, they found themselves looking at a small drawing of a dick next to the words “FUN GHOUL WUZ HERE” that was painted on the ceiling of the Diner. How the hell did someone as tiny as Ghoul even manage to get up that high?

“Yo, guys, they’re awake.” This was Sandman’s voice, and when Killer sat up they found that they had been literally laying on top of a table while their friends were crowded around in the next booth over. For some reason, Miss Misery was there, too, and as soon as Killer sat up she had her arms around them.

“How are ya feelin’?” Sandman asked. 

“Like someone ran over me with a truck,” Killer groaned. Now that their consciousness was returning, they were regaining the feeling in their body, and it felt like they had been held too close to a fire for a bit too long. Strangely, they couldn’t feel the bottom half of their left leg, but they didn’t think too hard about that since their brain was still mostly mush.

“Killer, you’ve been out for three days. I came as soon as I heard what happened, and I…” Misery didn’t have to finish her sentence; Killer knew what she was thinking.

“Don’t worry, you can’t get rid of me that easily. Who would look after your dumbass self if I was gone?”

Misery laughed through her tears, and Killer hugged her back.

“Not to break up the happy reunion, but there’s something you should know, Killer,” DJ Arsenic interrupted.

“Oh gods, did we miss some of the bombs?” Killer tried to hop off of the table, but instead of landing on both feet they instantly nose-dived to the floor.

“What the…”

“That’s what you should know. Your leg didn’t, uh… come with you after the explosion.”

Killer looked down to see that they had, indeed, lost a leg. Their left leg was gone below the thigh, and it looks like someone had wrapped the stump of what was left in an old t-shirt.

“Aw, fuck.”

“Hey, don’t worry,” Kobra Kid said. he had crouched down next to where Killer was still sitting on the floor, and he extended a hand to gently squeeze Killer’s shoulder. “We can get you a kick-ass prosthetic. BL/I puts out these new high-tech ones that-”

“No. I… I don’t think I’d want a high-tech fancy… whatever attached to my body.”

“Understood, but we can still find you something so that you aren’t stuck on one leg the rest of your life.”

Killer nodded. Fun Ghoul scoffed behind them.

“What’s wrong with only having one limb, huh?”

“Ghoul, there’s nothing wrong with having one limb, but one arm is different than having one leg.”

“Just walk on your hands. Problem solved.”

Fun Ghoul barely had time to dodge the can of beans that Party Poison launched at them from across the room.

* * *

Years later, after Half Noise had been resurrected, Killer still had the same wooden leg Kobra had gotten them.

“Whoa.” Killer looked up to see Half Noise lying on his back on their shared bed. Killer raised an eyebrow at him from where they had just stripped off their pants.

“What? It’s not like you haven’t seen my legs before.”

“Apparently not, since _that_ is new.” Half Noise motioned to Killer’s prosthetic, and Killer let out a small “oh”.

“I forgot you were dead when this happened.” They climbed onto the mattress, and Half Noise practically attached himself to their side.

“What happened?”

“I was on a mission with Sandman, Kobra, and DJ Arsenic. BL/I was gonna plant bombs all over the Zones, and we were supposed to take them all out at once. One of the vans got away and I ran after it and destroyed it, but I got caught in the aftermath and apparently my leg didn’t make it out.”

“Oh, cool.”

“Cool? Did you just— Babe, I lost my _leg_ , and you think it’s cool?”

“Hey, it makes you seem cooler. More mysterious and sexy.” Killer laughed, pressing a kiss to Half Noise’s forehead.

“Only you would think that missing a limb would be sexy, you dork.”


End file.
